<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>What You'll Sorely Miss by LuckyBossuet</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25181185">What You'll Sorely Miss</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyBossuet/pseuds/LuckyBossuet'>LuckyBossuet</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Les Misérables - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Enjolras has what could be interpreted as a near panic attack, Fluff, Getting Together, Jehan is the best, Light Angst, M/M, Mention - Freeform, Multi, Nightmares, Non-Binary Jean Prouvaire, Nonbinary Character, Other, Phobias, Triwizard Tournament, Yule Ball (Harry Potter)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:21:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,660</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25181185</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyBossuet/pseuds/LuckyBossuet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Grantaire is scared for Enjolras, Enjolras is oblivious to R's massive crush and a Tournament helps these two sort stuff out.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Courfeyrac/Jean Prouvaire, Enjolras/Grantaire (Les Misérables), Joly/Bossuet Laigle/Musichetta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prolouge - A Dream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>beta'd by the wonderful <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicpiano/pseuds/magicpiano">magicpiano</a> who inspired/encouraged me to write this!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>“Etienne Enjolras!” headmaster Valjean announced, voice echoing through the Great Hall, a cheer emanating from nearly everyone in the corner of the room that is claimed by the group known as Les Amis.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Enjolras stands, and Grantaire sees him look at the table, their friends’ cheering and encouraging, but Grantaire can feel how strained his face must look. Enjolras’ face falls when he sees the look Grantaire is giving him.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Suddenly, the room goes black, the candles flicking out around Grantaire, plunging him into darkness.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He blinks.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The room reignites to his father’s home, the cold atmosphere not impacted by the fire raging underneath the portrait of his parents, outdated now that his mother is gone.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>His father stands underneath, scowling, “You are a disgrace Henri, not only do you insist on using your fool mother’s name, not only did you </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>fail</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> to enter the house of our forefathers, you did not try to enter this tournament, not even TRY and redeem your name. You disgust me, I’m glad you live with your aunt. I do not want you, and neither will he. Not how you want. I wish I had never laid eyes on you.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>His father stalks through the drawing room, speeding up, a hand raising and –</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Not So Reassuring</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Grantaire sits up with a shout, hands raising to protect his face from a strike that doesn’t come.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A grunt from Bossuet’s bed answers his cry, Grantaire puts his hands over his mouth to cover the sound, but Bossuet is already awake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit, dude, nightmare?” he blearily asks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grantaire can barely move from the after effects of his shock but manages to nod. Bossuet gets up, tries not to wake anyone else in their dormitory and sits on Grantaire’s bed, hugging him, “You’re okay R, you’re at Hogwarts, you’re safe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grantaire nearly sobs into his friend’s shoulder, “Can- can we g-go downstairs?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“’Course, I got you. I’ll get Jehan and we can have a sleepover in the common room.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bossuet takes Grantaire down to the common room and sets him on the sofa, before he goes to the door to the door of the non-binary students’ dorm, knocking to get Jehan.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jehan, after being told Grantaire was shaken up by a dream, helps to set up a pillow nest and pulls Grantaire onto it, Bossuet plonks himself down next to them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jehan begins to softly sing a song their mother taught them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a while, Grantaire is able to talk about the dream, nightmares about his father aren’t new, but they have been less frequent in the last year. The ones about Enjolras though… they were a recent development.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He just-” Grantaire sighs, “I hate that he can still get in my head.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grantaire is embraced from both sides, Jehan and Bossuet hugging him, reminding him that the cruel things his father throws at him aren’t true, that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> loved.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In an effort to distract him, the conversation turns to the same thing everyone in school has been talking about since it was announced, the tournament.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The one thing Grantaire has been avoiding thinking about since it started.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The tournament had been reinstated around two decades after the last one, with even more precautions in place, including a 24 hours guard on the Goblet, to prevent tampering or underage entrants.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The first task was a find and retrieve, the grounds being transformed and filled with obstacles for the champions, Julien Renard, from Bauxbations, Georgia Renaldi from Durmstrang and, much to Grantaire’s dread, Etienne Enjolras, from Hogwarts, a Slytherin and Grantaire’s crush.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Which everyone knew, except the man himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite being in 6</span>
  <span>th</span>
  <span> year, Enjolras was still old enough to enter, barely being in the cut off for their year and the year above.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“- I wonder which one they’ll choose, I suspect not dragons, that’d be an </span>
  <em>
    <span>inflammatory</span>
  </em>
  <span> choice, maybe the maze,” Bossuet was pondering, “R what do you think?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grantaire gives the best glare he can in his current state, “I think I don’t want to think about it. I’m stressed enough as it is. I just want to go back to sleep.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With that, he determinedly lies back, closes his eyes, and sleeps.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Or rather, he tries to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He can’t turn his mind off, gears turning with thoughts of Enjolras being attacked by dragons, being trapped in a maze with no escape, a defective charm, leaving him sinking, failing to reach the surface.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Breakfast Bickering</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Still tired, Grantaire, Bossuet and Jehan sit in the corner their group often claimed, Bossuet moving, as if summoned, toward Joly and Musichetta, kissing each on the cheek. Jehan wraps their arms around Courfeyrac, getting a kiss in return. Grantaire sits next to Eponine and her brother, Gavroche. The little Gryffindor, even after 3 months of it being a Thing</span>
  <span>TM</span>
  <span>, is still excited that one of his sister’s friends was Hogwarts’ champion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Enjolras himself is barely paying attention to his food, pouring over books with Combeferre and Courfeyrac, when Courfeyrac could be distracted from Jehan anyway. Combeferre seems to be losing concentration too, the Ravenclaw kept glancing over at Eponine, the pair blushing whenever they catch each other’s eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve got it!” Enjolras suddenly shouts, causing everyone at the table to look up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know what the next task is, the lake.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Feuilly puts his hand up, “For those of us who </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> know what that means?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Enjolras blinks, as if only just realising his friends were there, a bad habit he got into during O.W.Ls. Sometimes he even forgot where he was when studying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The next task, the note from the first task said ‘what you hold dear you may lose, our aim is to confuse, this task others have done before, though there will be three instead of four’. The last Triwizard tournament had a task where the person most dear to each champion was enchanted and placed in the lake.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How’re they going to fit the entire Wizarding population under the lake for you then,” Grantaire thinks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Excuse me?” Enjolras glares at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I guess that wasn’t in my head.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, that’s your whole thing isn’t it?” Grantaire tries to save himself, “Caring about wizard kind?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That doesn’t mean they’re more important than my friends.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sometimes you act like they’re more important.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The HELL do you know!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Isn’t that the whole reason you’re doing this? Or is it just that mummy and daddy’s money isn’t enough anymore!” Grantaire snaps the last sentence out, before pushing his chair back and leaving for class, </span>
  <em>
    <span>thank Merlin I don’t have any with him today</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Enjolras stares after Grantaire, dumbstruck, he and Grantaire had been getting along really well recently, he didn’t know where that argument came from.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Yes, you do,</span>
  </em>
  <span> said the voice of reason that sounded surprisingly like Combeferre, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’re both tired and stressed so you both lashed out.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before he could go after Grantaire to explain, to apologise, he gets pulled along to his next lesson and doesn’t see Grantaire all day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even at lunch, Grantaire stays only long enough to eat, before making the excuse of “Homework” and leaving, despite no homework having been set with how close it is to the tournament.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just want to apologise to him,” he explains to Jehan, when asked why he’s so intent on seeing Grantaire, “I don’t want to go back to how we were third year.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In third year, Enjolras and Grantaire had both been getting backlash from their parents. Enjolras because of his activities in raising support and awareness for various causes his parents did not approve of, and Grantaire because of his career goals and general attitude towards his father. There had been a breaking point where the two hadn’t spoken for nearly a month.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Enjolras desperately wanted to avoid going back to that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grantaire did not show himself at dinner.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Grantaire wakes up in the middle of the night to an owl tapping on the window of the dormitory, the letter it holds reads;</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Henri Grantaire,</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Please meet me in the Great Hall once you have received this letter.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It is a matter of some importance,</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Professor J. Valjean</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Quietly, so as to not wake the others, Grantaire pulls on some casual Muggle clothes and heads to the Great Hall, where he sees Valjean waiting and asks, “What can I help you with Professor?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Follow me, I will explain once we’ve arrived.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With that, Valjean turns, taking Grantaire to a room he hadn’t been to before, where a girl in a Durmstang uniform, like Renaldi’s and a man with the same nose as Renard, were already waiting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grantaire turns to ask what this was about, before he feels a calm come over him, and he sleeps.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Prelude to the Task</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Enjolras readies himself for the first task, donning his drysuit and diving gear, provided by Feuilly. He’s aware he will get some funny looks for it, but it works well and a not insignificant part of him enjoys how much it would scandalise his parents to have their son use Muggle gear for a Wizard event.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he reaches the docks on the edge of the Black Lake, looking at his friends and seeing that someone is missing, he heads over to Bossuet where he’s sitting with Joly and Musichetta.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did ‘Taire decide not to come?” he asks, partially annoyed and partially worried, in case the reason for the cynic’s absence is not voluntary.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wish I knew mate; he wasn’t in the dorm when we woke up,” Bossuet shrugs, “I’m sure he’s okay though.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jehan, overhearing this piped up, “Sometimes when he’s stressed, R likes to run in that morphing room we found in first year? He may have lost track of time?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Enjolras can’t stop worrying though, all his friends are here, and as he no longer speaks with his blood relatives, it has to be one of them under the lake. A hand on his shoulder pulls him out of his thoughts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Combeferre’s gaze relaxes him some, “I’m sure he’s fine Enjolras.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Enjolras remembers something from the previous day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Before final period, Enjolras was surprised to be pulled into the Headmaster’s office for an interview. Especially when it turned out that this wasn’t for any newspaper, but for the next task, determining who his ‘most precious’ was.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The interview, in which he was not asked many questions at all, ended with him being asked to consent to Legilimency being used on him, in order to accurately determine who should be chosen. Even if Enjolras himself wasn’t sure who he would say was closest to his heart, although there was one person who his mind jumped to.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think he’s part of the task.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The words slip out of Enjolras’ mouth before he can even register thinking them, “I’m sure it’s him, if it would be anyone it would be one of you guys, and he isn’t here and I love him so it only makes sense they’d-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait what?” Courfeyrac interrupts, the Gryffindor holding his hands up, “You’re in love with R?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Enjolras blinks, “Yes, I- I guess I’ve never said it out loud before but yes. I am.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stands almost defiantly, daring anyone to say something about it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eponine laughs, “Enjy-boy we know, we just didn’t think you did.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suddenly, Enjolras goes cold, if the interview determined R as the most important person to him, then Grantaire is currently under the lake. Grantaire doesn’t like being submerged, he’s going to wake up soaking wet and in a lake, and Enjolras has to find him, he can’t do this, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> save Grantaire, he’s going to fail him, he can’t-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“-eathe, Enjorlas, you’re okay, it’s okay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Combeferre’s hands are on Enjolras’ shoulders, trying to calm him down. Enjolras could feel that he had started to hyperventilate, “Sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Ferre shakes his head, “No need, you okay now?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Enjolras manages to nod, then hears Valjean announce that the task will begin in 5 minutes. He steadies himself before going to the jump-off point. There is no time limit, simply a race to be the fastest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll get to you R, then I’ll apologise.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe then I can admit how I feel too.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Breathing deeply, Enjolras remembers the advice Feuilly gave him when practising, “Just breathe normally, not too deep or too shallow, just normal breaths,” and when the whistle blows, he jumps in.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey look, Enjolras isn't as emotionally oblivious as his friends think he is! woo!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Task Begun and Completed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Enjolras opens his eyes to bubbles, vanishing to reveal the green depths of the lake. The dry suit keeps him warm as he looks left and right he sees the other champions’ using various forms of magic. Renard, apparently being an animagi, takes the form of a dolphin, while Renaldi has a bubble head charm.</p>
<p>Enjolras barely notices which direction they go in, having a much more important issue on his mind. He uses his wand, stored in a pocket attached to the leg (<em> these muggles are geniuses </em>) and cast a tracker spell for Grantaire. His wand spins for a moment before firmly pointing in the right direction, a slightly different path than the others had taken.</p>
<p>With the suit keeping him warm, he focuses on swimming, on getting to Grantaire.</p>
<p>He eventually reaches the Merpeople’s village, one of the perimeter guards holds a trident level with Enjorlas’ chest.</p>
<p>Enjolras knows, thanks to Combeferre and Grantaire’s habits of picking up random information and sharing it, that the merfolk in the lake know sign.</p>
<p>In the past, in an attempt to improve relations between wizards and non-humans, he had taken to talking with some of the merfolk in the Great Lake.</p>
<p>“<em> Hello, </em> ” he signs, “ <em> I am Enjolras, I have spoken with some of your kin before. I ask permission to pass through your home, I have been given a task that requires me to reach the other side. </em>”</p>
<p>The guard nods, then waves for Enjolras to follow. As they swim, the guard signs, “<em> one of my bloodkin speaks to you often. She tells us you are safe. You will have no harm here. </em>”</p>
<p>“<em> My thanks, I am grateful. A man who is precious to me lies beyond, I admit I am impatient to reach him. </em>”</p>
<p>As they near the opposite edge of the village, his escort says, “<em> Bring your man to speak with my bloodkin, she tells me you speak of him often, if I am right about whom you speak of. </em>”</p>
<p>Enjolras feels himself blush, and nods, before swimming quickly away, glad that he is on good terms with the merfolk, he hates violence, avoids it at all costs, but he isn’t sure he could hold back if someone had tried to keep him from Grantaire.</p>
<p>Swimming over a ridge, Enjolras feels himself breathe a sigh of relief at the sight of Grantaire, unconscious and tied to the floor with kelp, but Grantaire regardless. He swims over, pocket knife at the ready (apparently it came with the suit) and cuts straight through the kelp tying his (<em> no not yours, you don’t even know if he wants to be </em>) Grantaire’s ties. Enjolras barely notices the girl and young man on either side, too focused on the man floating, unconscious in front of him.</p>
<p>Enjolras pulls Grantaire to the surface, kicking hard, wanting Grantaire to be out of the water soon (<em> he hates swimming, hates having his head under, he can’t stand it, it scares him, he hates it </em>), spitting out the mouthpiece when he breaks the surface, relief flooding him when Grantaire gasps for air and opens his eyes.</p>
<p>The relief doesn’t last long. Grantaire, realising where he is, starts to panic, flailing, the splashing nearly drowning out the announcement that Enjolras has emerged first.</p>
<p>“Easy, R, you’re okay, I’ve got you,” Enjolras says, trying to calm his friend.</p>
<p>“Enjolras? What- I- are we in the lake?”</p>
<p>“We are, you were made to be part of the task, I’m so sorry.” He tries to make his voice calm, “I need you to relax though. I’m not going to let go, I won’t let go of you I promise, I just need to swim us to shore.”</p>
<p>Grantaire takes a breath, “I think I can do that.”</p>
<p>Grantaire relaxes his limbs, still holding onto Enjolras, but not resisting as the smaller man swims them to shore.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Grantaire is shaking as his friends surround him, wrapping him in towels and blankets.</p>
<p>He assures them that he’s okay, especially Jehan and ‘Chetta who were there when his fear of submersion was formed, and sees Enjolras standing to the side, looking awkward. Grantaire stands and asks to talk away from the group.</p>
<p>“What did you need?” Enjolras is shaking, despite still being insulated by the air trapped by the suit.</p>
<p>“I- the task, wa-was,” Grantaire takes a breath to steady himself, “The task was to find the person most precious to you, and you had to find me. Not ‘Ferre or Courf. Not any of the others. Me. Please tell me I’m not imagining what this means.” He knows it sounds a little desperate, but honestly, he doesn’t care at this point, he just has to know.</p>
<p>Enjolras gulps, nervous, “I-,” he swallows again, hoping words won’t fail him, that he won’t say the wrong thing in his panic.</p>
<p>“I’m in love with you, and that’s why they chose you. I’m so sorry.”</p>
<p>Grantaire blinks, he didn’t expect that, not that he knew what he <b>was</b> expecting, but still.</p>
<p>“Why are you apologising?”</p>
<p>Enjolras was tearing up now, “I know you hate being underwater and you were, for a long time, and it’s my fault an-”</p>
<p>“Except, it’s not, Enj.”</p>
<p>Then it clicked.</p>
<p>“Wait, did- did you just say you love me?” Grantaire’s breath hitches at the realisation.</p>
<p>Biting his lip, Enjolras nods, embarrassed.</p>
<p>“Okay, that’s…” he takes a shuddering breath, “E, I’m gonna do something, stop me if you don’t want me to, okay?”</p>
<p>Again, Enjolras silently nods.</p>
<p>Slowly, Grantaire puts his hand on Enjolras’ chin, tilting it down so their lips are level. He moves the hand to Enjolras’ cheek, the other going to Enjolras’ waist, and leans in. Their lips touch, and suddenly Enjolras’ arms are around Grantaire, holding him close, as if he’s afraid Grantaire will vanish.</p>
<p>They’re unsure of how long they spend like this, but by the time they part the other champions have surfaced and Enjolras is being pulled away for the placement announcements.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. An Ending</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Of course, Enjolras finished the task first, by a significant margin, lodging him firmly in 1</span>
  <span>st</span>
  <span> place overall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Things are calm for a while, at least on the tournament front, the final task is in May, and the information for it won’t be announced for months. Given that lessons hadn’t yet broken up for Christmas, Grantaire and Enjolras had been too busy with class and homework to talk about The Thing</span>
  <span>TM</span>
  <span>, something which Enjolras is particularly eager to do, having been forced to leave it on such a strange note.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He finally catches up to R on the Friday of the last week, the day before the deadline to decide if you will be staying over Christmas or not. Enjolras always does, ever since second year, when he gained so many friends that even Courf and ‘Ferre, with their welcoming families, stayed during the holidays.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He regretted going home the first Christmas.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Grantaire!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The dark-haired boy turns, smiling at Enjolras running up to him, “How can I help you, dear Chief?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I, one sec, I need a second,” Enjolras regains his breath before continuing, “I wanted to know if you were staying for Christmas, because the Yule Ball is during the holidays, and I was wonder-, I mean, I wanted to ask, given champions need a date, not that I wouldn’t be asking you if I didn’t need to have a date, I would anyway, because I really like you ‘Taire, and I wanted to-“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grantaire places a hand on Enjolras’ arm, “Relax, it’s just me, take a breath.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was wondering if you’d like to be my date to the Yule ball, and possibly my boyfriend?” Enjolras’ voice squeaks adorably at the end, his nerves showing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grantaire’s smile changes to a huge grin, and he nods.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d love to do both of those things, Enjolras,” he replies, kissing Enjolras softly on the cheek, laughing when Enjolras gets a look of wonder on his face, touching the spot gently with his hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, good. I’m glad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I see that,” he really can, Enjolras looks as though he may burst.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The night of the Ball, Enjolras is dressed in a set of black dress robes, lined with silver piping as he waits outside the Hufflepuff dormitory. Bossuet had passed by him on his way to meet Joly and Musichetta, and he had been left on his own by Courfeyrac once Jehan emerged in their floaty floral robes, almost looking like they were wearing a dress. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Which, now that I think about it, wouldn’t be too far from Jehan’s normal wardrobe. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Finally, Grantaire comes out, his dress robes a deep green, not quite the emerald of Slytherin, but a dark jade, bringing out his eyes and making Enjolras’ heart stutter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You look, </span>
  <em>
    <span>wow</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grantaire smiles shyly, “You’re not too bad yourself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They talk all the way to the Great Hall, only realising they’ve arrived when Professor Simplice stops them and directs Enjolras to the other champions, they have to make an entrance apparently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the champion of the host school, Enjolras enters first (</span>
  <em>
    <span>with his date!!</span>
  </em>
  <span>), walking with his arm around Grantaire’s to the middle of the floor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They dance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It feels like floating, Enjolras having been made to take lessons, Grantaire having learned for the sheer joy of it. They move in sync (the practice on the grounds and the pre-agreement to have Grantaire lead help too). Neither of them notices their friends, pointing and talking about how they finally got their respective messes together, nor do they notice anything else in the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In that moment, their worlds are only each other, dancing with the person they love.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>